Oct 11, 2013 News
A new study has found that the U.S. ranks worst among other high-income countries in terms of living to the age of one, five, and 50; obesity; diabetes, HIV and AIDS; poverty and multiple other health and well-being standards. Rick Bockmann, CEO of Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital (HMH), and Gwen Matthews, CEO of Ukiah Valley Medical Center (UVMC), join George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, on a 22-minute video addressing the health concerns pertaining to Mendocino county.

This video entitled, “Where We Stand,” was created by the Committee for Citizen Awareness (CCA) and sponsored by HMH and UVMC. Through this sponsorship the CCA recently distributed this video at no cost to all public and private high schools, community colleges and many libraries and chambers of commerce in the First Congressional District of California. An additional version of this video highlighting the special health concerns of senior citizens will be made available to senior centers and assisted living facilities.

“At HMH our motto, “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” is something our staff takes very seriously. Likewise, I feel as a health care provider that community members are entitled to know how important their health is and the role our government has in impacting their health and well-being,” said Bockmann.

Matthews also shared, “It’s important that our community, especially our youth, understand the importance of the choices they make and the overall impact it will make on their health in the future.”

The “Where We Stand” DVD is one among a series of award-winning civic educational DVDs created by the Committee for Citizen Awareness. National dignitaries including Caroline Kennedy, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Majority Leader Bob Dole and Vice President Joe Biden also appear in the video series.

The Committee for Citizen Awareness (CCA) is a 28-year-old, non-profit, non-partisan, civic awareness organization devoted to educating young Americans about their government and encouraging them to embrace their civic responsibilities as citizens of our nation.